New start in Test cricket

Kamal Hosen
For the first time in its cricket history, Bangladesh have won a Test match by an innings. And look at the opponent. Once cricket giant Windies, who literally ruled the cricket world in the 1980s, have now crumbled. Bangladesh made them listen to the lethal music of ‘rotor blade’ of helicopter produced during spinning, in reply to the ‘chin music’ that Windies sang with their seamer-friendly conditions in the July series.
Have Bangladesh avenged of their previous 2-0 defeat in West Indies? To a hardcore fan of Bangladesh cricket, they have, even though in the language of cricket ‘revenge’ is certainly not a preferable term. However, the term frequently comes ahead due to the attacking mentality of Bangladesh team throughout the series. Be it bowling or batting, Bangladesh have whitewashed the opponents in every single department. Windies are literally dragged down to the ground.
When Windies captain Kraigg Brathwaite asserted that a fresh India tour experience only last month would help his team put up a good show against Bangladesh, nothing proved his belief. How could they know Bangladesh were preparing to pounce on them on cruelly? Shakib Al Hasan asked his teammates to remember the Windies series in July last while Mushfiqur Rahim made a direct declaration that “this series is for Bangladesh to give Windies something back.” No expert was required to dig up what Mushfiq was actually intending for.
Windies slipped before Bangladesh spinners within 36.4 overs in the first innings to climb up Bangladesh’s 508-run-Everest. Symptoms of their innings defeat were conspicuous when they, in the second innings, also underwent a similar batting collapse like in the first innings. Only Shimron Hetmyer was the ‘sand dam’ who unsuccessfully tried to delay Bangladesh’s massive win. The rest of the line-up couldn’t withstand the pressure created by the Bangladesh spinners who took all 40 wickets of Windies in a rare example of Test match where a side was set up with four spinners but no acknowledged pacers.
Through the win of the Test series, Bangladesh have made a massive flip-flop in the record book. But the most notable achievement of Bangladesh has perhaps has gone unnoticed. The 2-0 victory over Windies has helped Bangladesh get back the eighth place in the ranking. The official declaration by the International Cricket Council is yet to come though, the guardian organization of world cricket gave an indication that Bangladesh could make their way into the top 8 by defeating Windies at least 1-0. The 2-0 victory has just galvanized its place in the ranking.